NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Shaking off the rust from Christmas break, Lipscomb’s track and field teams put together a strong showing at the Ed Temple Classic, Saturday, hosted by Tennessee State. Two school records were set by Lipscomb athletes at the Gentry Center, and Lipscomb’s sprinters were excellent in relays and as individuals.

The biggest highlight for the men’s team came in the 400m dash. Freshman Colin Dempster (49.40s) held off junior Bobby Bassett (49.75s) for the victory, just missing Bassett’s school record of 49.36s in a race down to the wire.

Tucker Peabody set one of the school records in the 55m dash, finishing third with a 6.42s mark in the finals. He was second in the 200m dash, posting a 21.78s mark that was one-hundredth off the school record.

The 4x400m relay team finished fourth overall with a 3:23.14s run. Dempster, Bassett, Peabody and sophomore Ryan Whitley each ran a leg for the Bison.

“Tucker’s performances were terrific,” said Lipscomb head coach Bill Taylor. “All our 400m runners ran terrific. Colin and Bobby put together great races; whatever 100 percent is, they gave it today. This time the freshman came out ahead, but it will be fun watching them compete with one another throughout the season.”

The women’s team also had a strong showing in the 400m, with junior Sara Stephens (1:00.44s), freshman Brenna Thompson (1:01.53s) and senior Valerie Winkler (1:01.97s) each winning their respective heats. Stephens finished sixth overall.

“All three women put together great heats,” Taylor said. “Each of them winning their heats was very exciting.”

Freshman April Terry raised the bar for the school’s shot put record again, with an 11.41m (37’ 5.25”) toss netting her a seventh-place finish.

“This was a really great start to 2012 for both teams,” Taylor concluded. “Across the board, we competed hard and showed great spirit. Even though they weren’t competing today, the distance middle distance teams were there to cheer on their teammates. This is a great foundation to build on!”

Lipscomb will be back in action next weekend at the Saluki Booster in Carbondale, Ill.

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